How to pay for college

There are hundreds of scholarships available to Bermudians. Here’s how to find and apply for one

Finding funding for further education

With rising fees for many colleges and universities, the cost associated with post-secondary education is daunting for many families. However, there are literally hundreds of scholarships available to Bermuda students to be found on bermudasholarships.com. Happily, most scholarship providers today take financial need into consideration, which is all the more reason to apply online in order to be considered for awards. Whether you are studying math or art, science or dance, accounting or horticulture, scholarships are offered for every discipline.

Searching for scholarships

The bermudascholarships.com website allows you to conduct a search to find scholarships you are eligible for without even having to log in. Then once you have decided on which scholarships are of interest, you can go ahead and create a profile by registering, after which you can log in at any time from any PC or laptop wherever you are.

Your profile

You will be asked to complete various fields including education, academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, and community service. You will also need to upload various documents that award providers require such as essays, references, and tuition costs. There is also a Statement of Means form that must be completed in the finance section of the student profile. A short instructional video is embedded in the ‘Files’ section that will assist in completing the form.

Required Documents

Essays – most award providers require an essay, which is a very important part of your application. You may be asked to write on a specific subject so be sure to research. A well-written essay is critical for your application to be considered, so make certain to have it vetted for accuracy and content by your teacher, a friend or family member. It is unfortunate that some applications are not considered because a deserving student provides a personal statement instead of an essay on a specific topic. If you are asked to write 300 words, try to do so, and please be sure to use paragraphs – there is nothing worse than being presented with a solid block of ‘words’ to read.

Transcripts

Along with the various documents to upload, you will also be required to provide a school or college transcript. Bermuda students should request their school to upload an official transcript to their profile. This ensures confidentiality and the transcript can only be viewed by award providers who receive your application.

Scholarships

Overseas students should request their college to send an official transcript directly to the bermudascholarships. com administrator for uploading to their profile.

Useful resources

The site also contains other useful information such as interview tips, FAQs and choosing the right university. There is even a section for parents and educators which may be found useful, and several other links that are helpful.

Applications

Shortlist all the scholarships you wish to apply for, then once you are satisfied that you have uploaded all required documents, you can click ‘Submit Application’ and will then be asked to upload documents required by award providers. Once done, confirm that you wish to submit your application by pressing Okay and you will then receive a notice advising that your application has been submitted successfully. You will also receive an electronic acknowledgement from the award provider(s).

Deadlines

A number of scholarships have deadlines of March 31st/mid- to end-April, etc. so hopefully you are already on track in researching scholarships, uploading documents, short-listing, etc. If not, you still have some time left and are encouraged to start the process as soon as possible in order to be considered for scholarship funding for the coming academic year.

In the Resources section of the website, there is a spreadsheet that can be downloaded which you will find useful in keeping track of all your scholarship applications, ensuring you have all documents required, deadlines, etc. We strongly encourage you to use this tracking tool.

And finally …

Many students eagerly look for summer employment each year. Please be sure to check out the Student Employment section as this lists many summer internships and jobs as well as entry-level positions for graduates.

Please address any questions or queries to bermudascholarships@gmail.com.